


Gestohlen

by regina_stellaris



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Slave Trade, Slavery, Thief Apprentice Eren, Thief Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Thieves Guild
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-21 08:44:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11940525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regina_stellaris/pseuds/regina_stellaris
Summary: It was universally known that the Thieves Guild always needed new recruits -- sometimes members got caught, sometimes they died. What better place to look for some than secret human auctions?





	1. Auktion

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone.  
> This is an idea that has been haunting me for weeks, and I thought -- might as well start writing it.
> 
> It's my first Riren story, so please be gentle. 
> 
> The title is German for 'Stolen'.
> 
> A big thank you to the awesome [BlueMonkey](http://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueMonkey/pseuds/BlueMonkey) for beta reading!

“Do I hear more than 20 Rose?” the auctioneer yelled into the room. Loud murmurs answered him as men debated. More than one looked towards the twelve naked boys kneeling on the stage, their hands bound behind their backs with coarse ropes. Those boys stared at the ground between their knees, some shaking from stress, some crying. Many were covered in wounds..

 

The rest of the room was dim, and had men sitting around round tables. A few smoked thick cigars, others sipped expensive wines. Most of them were clad in suits so expensive that their cost could’ve nurtured an entire village for years. Thick clouds of smoke wafted through the darkness, the scent mingling with the heady smell of alcohol and the garlic odor of human sweat. It was nauseating to be in this room for more than five minutes, and especially so for the boys to be sold. Attained through raids or indebted fathers unable to repay their debts in any other way, their lives would never be the same. A lot of them would be sex slaves for devious old men or tired women; some would be lucky, and be sold to tanners, bakers or builders to become either inexpensive workers or fodder for the gutter. Maybe one or two would manage to evade their inescapable death for some time, but in the end Thanatos would claim them all. 

 

In the back of the room stood a short man partially covered by shadow. Levi observed the proceedings in obvious distaste. He hated coming here, when drunk men came together to sell, trade, and rape boys young enough to be their grandchildren. He hated seeing the blood running down thighs, hated smelling the stink of piss when the boys bladders could hold their content no longer. And he hated how the auctioneer and the regulators treated all those boys --those  _ human beings-- _ like less than cattle. 

 

“Come on, everyone! This one is used to hard work! And if you want, he will be easy in bed!” The auctioneer pushed a crying boy to the ground, then gripped at his hair and dragged him into a kneeling position again. The boy just cried harder. One of the regulators slapped him in the face for it.

 

Levi’s fists tightened as the boy next to him started crying as well and the regulator just backhanded him without even looking at him. He wanted to go up there and ram his dagger into that unsuspecting throat, but was held back by a hand around his wrist. When he looked to his side, he saw his friend, Erwin, there, shaking his head.

 

“Don’t,” he said. “Remember why we’re here.”

 

“Tch.” Levi grit his teeth, then ripped his arm away from Erwin to cross them over his chest. Leaning against the far wall meant that he had a good look of all the guests, and what he saw made his skin crawl. He had sudden urge to wash himself. “I don’t get why we have to look for new recruits here, Erwin.”

 

“You of all people know why we’re here,” Erwin said quietly. “A lot of the best thieves we’ve ever had come from here.”

 

Levi grit his teeth. Once upon a time, he had kneeled in that very same position as the twelve boys in front of him; naked, starving, and ready to make the world burn with his hatred. He’d decided to kill whoever was foolish enough to buy him, steal their gold, then start anew. His defiance had gained him an expensive price, as a lot of people wanted to break his spirit and wipe his sneer off of his face. 

 

Then Erwin had bought him in the name of the Survey Corps, an organization that fronted the most notorious band of thieves ever to have existed in Paradis. Whoever they bought today would become one of them - if everything went according to Erwin’s plans, that was.

 

It was therefore doubly disgusting for Levi to be here tonight. Not only because of what was to happen to all those boys he saw in front of him, but also because it reminded him of a piece of his past that he’d buried a long time ago.

 

With a sigh, he decided to push those thoughts away for now and then went back to studying the boys. Erwin needed Levi here for a reason; he was able to see the qualities of a good thief like no other, a fact that had played a huge role when Levi had become captain of a small group of thieves himself. He let his gaze sweep over dirty skin, took in features like thin arms and slender legs, calculated in his mind if the boys would be able to be silent as a cat in the dark of the night, or if they would be trampling about like an oath. And most importantly - he looked for those that still held a spark of life in their eyes; those that wanted to continue living.

 

Levi found a passable candidate when the auctioneer had just sold his fourth boy. It was the sixth, a teen by the looks of it. He was a little bit taller than Levi, and nowhere near finished growing. His legs were long and strong, his arms thin despite obvious muscles hiding beneath the skin of his biceps. Levi could not see his hands, but he imagined them to be calloused, perhaps with lithe fingers and cracked fingernails caked with mud. He looked like a farm boy who’d been snatched from his home just a few hours ago.

 

The most stunning things about him were his eyes; they stared at the ground defiantly, and sometimes even wandered upwards to look at the men who would love to buy him. Levi was surprised when he saw them directed at him, and again when a scowl crept onto the boy’s features for a small moment before he looked down again. Levi swallowed. He saw so much of himself in that boy that it almost hurt physically.

 

“Erwin,” he whispered. “The sixth-”

 

“Yeah, I already noticed,” Erwin answered him. “He reminds me of you when I first met you.” 

 

“We have to buy him.” Levi nodded absentmindedly, too fascinated by this boy's appearance. There’d be quite a fight about him -- he was very handsome. His skin was tanned and glowed like bronze in the stage light, the hair chestnut brown and short. Even his parts.... Levi looked away. Well, he knew why the men in the front would want him. They were probably licking their lips to get a taste of this boy already. Not tonight, though. 

 

“I guessed so,” Erwin sighed. His hand fastened around the sack of gold hanging from his hip. “I wonder where the trafficker acquired such a beauty.”

 

“I don’t fucking care how he did it,” Levi hissed. “All I know is that this boy is gonna end up as someone else’s bed slave if we don’t buy him. Look at those fucking old men already imagining how to break him. It’s disgusting.” 

 

Again, Erwin sighed. He opened the sack and took out some gold coins - the squarish coins stamped with the image of the Goddess Sina, the triangular coins stamped with the image of the Goddess Rose, and finally the circular coins stamped with the image of the Goddess Maria. He wondered how much the boy would cost the Survey Corps. Sina coins were worth 100 Rose coins, and Rose coins were worth 100 Maria coins, which usually meant that pocket change was a big hassle. He had brought enough to buy all twelve boys if needed, but as a thief who’d acquired part of this treasure by himself, he liked to keep his expenses low.

 

“A lot of people will be wanting him, so there is going to be quite a fight.”

 

“I know,” Levi sneered. “We have enough money for him though, don’t we?”

 

“Yes.” Erwin let some of the coins slip through his fingers. “Although I’d prefer not to lose so much of it at once.”

 

Levi snorted. “Of course you would.” He shook his head in what could be called fond exasperation. “Tell you what: we buy that boy, and then, when you  _ profoundly  _ thank the auctioneer for our good deal-”

 

Erwin interrupted him with a quiet laugh, already knowing what the shorter wanted to say. “Of course. Why did I not think of this?”

 

“Because you don’t know how to improvise.” It was true. Erwin liked to keep ahead of everyone by several steps, and usually planned his heists to a miniscule detail. Levi was more a creature of improvisation; if there was a treasure, he made sure to steal it as swiftly as he could, no matter the risks he had to undertake. 

 

“Yes I am.” Erwin nodded, then let his attention wander back to the stage. “I think it is time.”

 

A crying boy was dragged off of the stage by his hair, bawling so loudly that the regulator just dragged him along. Levi saw that their chosen boy twitched as if he wanted to interfere, but then managed to rein in his temper at the last second. His eyes burned like smoldering emeralds in the light of the stage.

 

Levi had never seen such eyes before.

 

“And now, ladies and gentlemen,” the auctioneer stood up straighter, “let me present our next boy, the jewel of our auction tonight. His name is Eren from the small village of Shiganshina.” Levi saw how the boy clenched his eyes at the mention of his hometown. Probably a captive from a raid, then. “He is able to work long hours, and I guarantee you that he will be worth your while -- if you know what I mean.” Several men laughed while Levi growled deep within his throat. If they so much as touched Eren, he would- “On top of it, he is a virgin!” Eren, that was the boy’s name, twitched violently at that, giving up all pretense of not listening in order to throw himself forward, struggling to squirm forward. One of the regulators grabbed him by his hair, though, and dragged him upright again before a single slap from a cane brought him to his knees once more.. 

 

“As you just saw, he is a little bit hot-tempered and inclined to misbehave from time to time. But as you see, it is nothing that a stick or a good whip cannot fix.” Several men hummed affirmatively. One licked his lips, and Levi wished that he had his daggers with him. He’d rid the world of a swine any day. “Bidding starts at 5 Rose.”

 

Voices started yelling, pushing the price up and up. It seemed everyone wanted a taste of Eren, and Levi’s worry grew in time when the demand reached more than 5 Sina before long. “Fuck, Erwin, he’ll be expensive.”

 

“I know,” Erwin stroked the sack of gold. “You’ll steal it back before long, though, won’t you?”

 

“Of fucking course,” Levi bristled. “But if you don't start bidding soon, the price will be so fucking high that we can’t buy him in the first place.”

 

“Don’t worry. I’m a master at this,” Erwin smiled so smugly that Levi wanted to hit him. “Most of the participants are starting to get impatient and are running out of money. Like the fat man in the front row, seventh seat from the left. He is sweating like crazy because he wants the boy, but he is about to reach his financial limit for tonight since he already bought the first and third boy.”

 

Levi looked to the man - or  _ pig _ , which seemed more accurate - and sneered in his direction. Erwin chuckled at the sight, then took the card with his bidding number. While he and Levi had chatted, the price for Eren had risen to stand at 6 Sina, 20 Rose and 80 Maria. The participants were reaching their limit. Now was Erwin’s time.

 

He carefully placed his middle, index and ring finger on the card and held it up. It indicated that he wanted to raise the Maria coins to an even number and then raise the Rose to the next tenth after the current bid. The auctioneer, trained to see even the smallest of movements in a crowd this large, got the message. “And number 37 raises to 6 Sina and 30 Rose.” Men grumbled as they had to leave the bidding, having brought too little money to bargain for the beautiful brunette. One man, however, didn’t deter from his goal of getting Eren. He held up his own card with his thumb by the upper left corner. 

 

“Number 23 rises to the challenge and raises to 7 Sina.” Levi grit his teeth and watched Erwin who, completely undeterred by this, gripped his card in a similar fashion, but held it between his ring finger and thumb by the lower left corner. He wanted to raise by half. “Number 37 raises for another 50 Rose. We’re at 7 Sina and 50 Rose in total.”

 

While everyone was murmuring and his friend was bidding, Levi couldn’t help but stare at the man who tried to snatch their soon to be recruited thief right from under their noses. He was tall, almost as big as Erwin, with an angular face that seemed to have aristocratic features. His nose was straight and a pair of glasses rested easily on them while his long blond hair was tugged in a clean ponytail. His eyes, though - Levi had always congratulated himself being able to read people as well as he could, and those eyes sent shivers down his spine. Whatever the man wanted from Eren, it wasn’t companionship or just a pliant body to keep his bed warm. No, this man planned something sinister. Levi could almost taste the malevolent aura surrounding this guy. 

 

“Number 37 raises for another 50 Maria. The bid now stands at 9 Sina, 99 Rose and 60 Maria.” The auctioneer looked around if anyone was willing to bid more for the boy, a greedy look on his face as he did so. Levi spared him only a glance, though, before he looked to the boy at the center of attention. He looked pale, his gaze sweeping from Levi and Erwin to the blond man and back. He finally stopped and looked to Levi, and the short man could almost read the message in those eyes.  _ Please don’t let that guy buy me. _

 

Huh. He seemed not to be the only one creeped out by the blonde.

 

When finally the blonde man stopped bidding, Levi let forth a deep sigh of relief. It left the final price for Eren at 9 Sina, 99 Rose and 70 Maria. Too damn expensive, if you asked Levi, and Erwin also looked as if he’d just bitten into a citrus fruit, but it wouldn’t matter soon anyway. Levi was going to steal their money right back, and if he did it right, he could even bring along something extra. 

 

“Number 37 wins. Please, come behind the stage to receive the ownership documents and to conclude the deal.” Without so much as a warning, Erwin started moving. Levi followed him at a more leisurely pace while he looked towards the man they’d just beaten in the bidding. He didn’t seem too disappointed to have lost, more like he didn’t care at all. The feeling Levi had about him remained, but it wasn’t as strong as before now. He was sure that he could take the man if the guy so much as tried any funny business. Before he could back that up, however, the stranger stood up and left the room without uttering a single word. It left Levi deep in thought, which he only managed to shake off when he entered the small area behind the stage.

 

On the left side he could see the stage and the kneeling boys ready to be sold. The auctioneer was already praising the seventh boy in the row for his ability to control his gag reflex while Eren was dragged in by two regulators. The moment he left the stage he started thrashing against the two men, tried to get free, only for one of them to backhand him so hard that he struggled due to the ropes binding his legs, fell against the sharp side of a crate and whimpered. 

 

The woman closing the deal -- old with a face like crinkled paper and dull brown eyes -- didn’t even look to the boy as she put a package of papers on the table. “Here are the documents, sir.” Even her voice was boring, Levi thought, and watched the regulators handle the boy. Eren was a lot more compliant now, the pain a sharp reminder who had power and who had not. The two men put him on his feet and loosened the rope that bound his hands, freeing them for the first time in forever, if the chafing around his wrists was any sign to go by. 

 

“Do you want him dressed or naked?” the woman asked. She uncorked a vial of ink, then put a golden pen on the table. Levi stared at it.  _ She has a golden pen and there are boys starving in a hellhole like this _ …

 

“Dressed. Also no collar.” When the woman raised her eyebrow at that Erwin shot her his most dazzling smile. “We brand.”

 

Understanding flitted over her face. “I understand. No collar, then.” She clapped with her hand. “Clothe him.”

 

The two regulators nodded, then took the still pliant boy with them to another part of the backstage. Levi looked after them, asking Erwin with his eyes if he should follow, but his boss shook his head. He looked towards the bag at his hip, and Levi understood. He was to seize an opportunity to rid this filthy place of some money. Good. He would enjoy denying those assholes their earnings.

 

Meanwhile the woman arranged the papers and pushed them towards Erwin. “This is your copy of the receipt which will verify that you gave me the money; this is your copy of the receipt that you received the ware,” Levi managed to keep in any noise, “and this is the ownership certificate.” She licked her lips, her entire expression too accommodating, too willing to help. “Sign here, here, and here.”

 

Erwin took out the money and carefully counted 10 Sina before he pushed the coins towards her. “This is a little more than we agreed on, but I’m sure you don’t mind.” She nodded a little too fast. Erwin smiled. “I hate paying with Rose and Maria. Such irregular numbers, you understand?”

 

She nodded again. Levi just shook his head at his friend’s antics. It was all a ploy to make his own job easier later. 10 Sina coins were easier to steal than 99 Rose coins and 70 Maria coins. Levi made a mental note to thank Erwin for this later.

 

The regulators soon returned with Eren. He was wearing what might have been a potato sack once upon a time, with his long arms and legs sticking out of the harsh cloth like sore thumbs. Levi noticed fresh bruises on the boy’s face. He desperately tried to retain his mask of neutral politeness, but it proved to become quite difficult the longer he remained in the same room as the two brutes. If he wanted, he could beat them up so badly that they’d never ever lay their hands on a boy ag-

 

“Thank you, Mr. Smith. It was a pleasure doing business with you. Have a wonderful day,” the woman said. Levi came back to the present. He watched as Erwin carefully took his copies of the sale agreement and other documents, rolled them up, and placed them in a small round leather case at his hip. He looked to Levi, and the shorter man nodded before he stepped towards Eren and gripped the boy’s wrist. Eren flinched at the touch although Levi had made sure not to apply too much pressure, and it made the thief’s blood burn with the need to destroy something. 

 

“Come on then, brat,” he said to Eren instead, pushing his own feelings away. He was a professional, dammit. “Time to go.”

 

Eren seemed torn, looking from the woman who cheerfully counted coins to the two men that had bought him, his gaze searching. Whatever he’d been looking for he appeared to find, because soon enough he followed Levi outside of the door without making a sound, letting the short man lead his pace.

 

They walked through corridors, ascended stairs, and opened door of all kinds. During the entire time, Levi as well as Erwin didn’t utter a word. The boy fidgeted with his clothes which were probably far too short for his lithe frame, but Levi and Erwin didn’t stop to help him in this matter. They continued walking until they reached another door, which seemed older than the rest they had passed through due to the intricate patterns carved into the wood. 

 

With a glance towards his charge, Levi put his hand on the doorknob and pushed the thing open. And they passed into the night.


	2. Angebot

Fresh air filled Eren’s lungs for the first time since his capture. He breathed it in greedily, eyes closed. Days rotting away in the cellar were momentarily forgotten as he stood there, concentrating on the breeze in his hair and on his skin, the earth beneath his naked feet. His toes curled into the loose soil as if he wanted to grow roots and never leave.

 

His buyers were nice enough to grant him a few moments of reprieve while they talked to each other in hushed tones, and Eren was too busy appreciating all that was around him to eavesdrop. Only when the wind bit into his skin did it bring him back to the present.

 

Eren wasn’t free. Not yet, anyway. He still had shackles around his arms, invisible as they may be. Those two men who had bought him could now do with him whatever they wanted, and the relief he had felt upon not being bought by the scary blond man began to sour into hatred. What would they do to him? He gritted his teeth just imagining it.

 

He opened his eyes and gazed towards the two still speaking quietly to each other. It was very dark. He couldn’t see very far, but their forms only a few feet away from him were clearly visible. They had their backs to him, seemingly thinking that he would stay put while they discussed their plans.

 

Not damn likely. 

 

Slowly, Eren took a step. The earth was cold beneath his bare feett. Grass tickled his heel, but he suppressed the urge to laugh and took another step. The men didn’t pay him any attention, which was good. Perhaps he could sneak away, steal some gold and then return home. He took another step, then another, then another. There was a forest near the house where he’d been auctioned off. Eren chose it as his destination. Once in the forest, he would climb up one of the trees as he had done so often at home, then hide for the night while the men searched for him. Only when they would give up, he’d come back down, get into the next town in the opposite direction, and make his way home. 

 

_ Just don’t rush it, or else you’ll make a sound _ , he thought to himself, kept his steps slow and precise. Luck was on his side, as the two were still talking. He saved precious seconds by taking longer steps, getting closer to the trees and further away from his buyers. Soon their forms melded with the darkness, filling Eren’s being with exhilaration and dread at the same time. He had to be quick, or he’d be vulnerable. Another step brought him closer to his destination, then another, and another, and --

 

Strong arms wrapped around his lithe frame from behind and he yelped in surprise, going stiff with panic. _Oh no, they had found out, they had found out,_ _what would they do to him, oh by the Walls, they would kill him, wouldn’t they, what was gonna happen to him--_

 

“Calm down,” a voice sounded at his ear. “I’m not going to hurt you. Take deep breaths, in and out, in and out--” The arms carefully lowered him to the ground, then left his body entirely. Eren felt the grass tickling his knees. His world had shrunken down. He struggled to breathe. “Come on, brat, in and out, in and out -- yeah, just like that, you can do it.” It was hard, but eventually his lungs filled and emptied with precious air. His vision lightened.

 

Somewhere near him, a lamp was lit; the sudden brightness forced Eren to clench his eyes shut momentarily, and from the commentary of the man who had held him, he wasn’t the only one. “Fuck, Erwin, warn a man before you light that shit.”

 

Carefully Eren opened his eyes. He was still kneeling on the ground between his two buyers, one of which was kneeling behind him. Eren saw the blonde one  -- Erwin -- with a lantern in his hand. He looked down at Eren with a smile on his face. Glancing behind him, he saw that the black-haired man looked far more neutral, but he could still see a proud shimmer in his eyes. 

 

“Sorry, Levi,” Erwin said, not sounding sorry at all. “I’m just appreciating that we were right.”

 

“Tch.” Levi scoffed. “Do you think I’ve lost my touch?”

 

“Not at all,” Erwin said, then reached down and held out his hand for Eren to take. “Come, Eren, stand up.” Eren slowly grabbed the hand, cursed himself that his fingers were shaking. He was dragged to his feet with relative ease. Levi stood up with a grunt behind him and brushed some earth from his breeches. “We’re very pleased by your aptitude.”

 

Silence. Then, “Er --What?” Eren asked. 

 

“If we hadn’t known that you would sneak away and watched you out of the corner of our eyes, you could’ve actually managed it. You’re very silent when you walk. Did someone teach you that?”

 

Eren crossed his arms in obvious defiance and looked away. “W-Why should I tell you?” 

 

“Because we’re the people who got you out of this damn shithole,” Levi said, half turned to the building they had just exited not minutes earlier, “and prevented you from going to the next right away.”

 

“I know that it isn’t pleasant to be reminded of this, but Levi is right.” Erwin tried to be a little bit more diplomatic. “If we hadn’t bought you, the nasty guy would’ve bought you.” Eren looked away, biting his lip. “And only the Goddesses might know what he would’ve done with you.”

 

A shudder worked its way up from Eren’s spin. He wrapped his own arms around himself to keep of the sudden sharp breeze tingling on his skin. “I-I know,” he said slowly. “He was creeping me out.”

 

Eren started shaking. Levi sighed deeply before he took of his mantle, strode to him and wrapped the fabric around his shaking shoulders. It was still warm from body heat and smelled of tea leaves and soap. He gave the short man a thankful nod, even if he was still distrustful of the pairs intentions with him. If they were so dumb to show him kindness, he could very well take advantage of that.

 

“You haven’t answered my question yet, Eren,” Erwin said. “Where did you learn to move that silently?”

 

Eren swallowed, wrapped the mantel tighter around his shoulders. A little honesty wouldn’t hurt, would it? “Our neighbor, Hannes, took me on hunts sometimes. He teached me the way of a hunter.”

 

“Interesting,” Erwin said, then smiled. “You are very proficient. I bet you are a good hunter.”

 

Eren couldn’t help but blush at the praise, yet looked down in shame. “Not as good as Hannes,” he answered after a while.

 

Behind him, Levi snorted. “Don’t sell yourself short, brat. If we’d have been a bunch of dumb guards or drunk nobles, you would’ve managed to sneak away.” He patted the boy’s shoulder. “Humility is a fucking weakness. You need to be proud and sure of your abilities, or you’ll end up dead soon enough.”

 

“The Great Levi has spoken,” Erwin laughed, while Eren just looked about in confusion. “Before you start instructing your newest pupil, however, I would suggest we move this conversation to a more private location.”

 

“P-pupil?” Eren asked, confusion tainting his voice. He looked from Levi to Erwin and back. “What do you mean?”

 

“Not here,” Levi said. He grabbed Eren’s arm. “We have a pair of horses a few miles south.”

 

“We’ll stop at the nearest inn and explain every question you might have there,” Erwin explained. “You’ll have time to think about our proposal until then.”

 

Eren gulped. His head was spinning already, but he thought he knew what they wanted from him. Better make sure, though.. “What proposal?”

 

Erwin grinned. “We’d like to recruit you, of course.”

 

*****

 

They arrived at the inn at around midnight. After Levi had taken care of the horses and Erwin had rented a room, they sat down in the main hall to eat. There were at least a dozen tables occupied by merchants and workers. Loud conversations drowned any other noises, and laughter erupted in the corner, wafting through the air thick as smoke.

 

In stark contrast, Eren and his companions ate in silence. He didn’t mind, though, not really. It gave him more opportunities to observe the two men sitting across from him, to see them in a different light. And the meal was the best he’d had in a month. He didn’t want to diminish its flavor through pointless small talk.

 

The first thing Eren noticed was the almost comical height difference between the two men. The second was their completely different eating behaviors. While Erwin ate like a starving man and soon ordered a second portion of stew and another piece of bread, Levi wiped his mouth with a napkin every few bites and grumbled whenever a few crumbs fell on the table. Erwin drank two tankards of beer while Levi settled for tea.

 

It showed Eren that Erwin was a man who lived in the moment. Someone who appreciated amenities in whichever ways they presented themselves to him. Levi, on the other hand, seemed to loathe the very fact that he had to be in this small inn. He eyed everything -- especially the dirtier corners -- with disdain. As if having to stay  _ here _ was below his status. Eren hid his sneer behind the mug of water he’d been given earlier. He had to keep himself in check lest he’d show the shorter man his disgust upon witnessing such arrogant behaviour.

 

They finished their meals not long after. Levi stood first and went to use the privy, a scowl firmly etched into his pale features. The mere mention seemed to repel him. This was a man used to chamber pots and maids to empty them, Eren mused. He couldn’t help but scoff at Levi’s behavior and turned to Erwin, who was observing him with a dark smirk. It made his blood run cold.

 

“Is something wrong?” Erwin asked sweetly. Eren gulped; that tone promised trouble. He shook his head so quickly it made him dizzy. “Good. Wouldn’t want you to get on Levi’s bad side.” Erwin left it at that. It confused Eren more than it reassured him.

 

Levi returned shortly after. Together they made their way up to the room Erwin had procured for them. It was on the first floor of the inn, which meant it would still get considerable heat from the fireplace in the common room. The wooden stairs creaked under their weight as they ascended, the darkness making everything seem surreal. At the top was a lantern, the wick drowning in a sea of wax. Carefully, Erwin pried the glass case open and pulled a candle out of his belt, which he lit at the crackling flame. Then he trapped the fire inside again, leaving it to its fate.

 

With light, finding their room was a lot easier. Although Eren was sure he would’ve found the way in the dark eventually, having a source of light made the rest of their way feel … safer. More hopeful. He licked the inside of his dirty teeth and wondered what the two men would do to him once they were behind a lockable door. He dreaded finding out.

 

And then the moment was upon him. Erwin opened the door to the room and immediately entered, while Eren couldn’t help but stop in the door frame. A jab to his shoulder remedied that, however, before Levi pushed him in unceremoniously and looked around. The scowl was back on his face in full force.

 

“Fucking amazing,” he cursed, his voice only a whisper but full of contempt. “As if the main hall wasn’t shitty enough.”

 

“Relax, Levi,” Erwin said smoothly and lit the rooms lantern with his candle. The light threw grotesque shadows on the wall. “We won’t stay here long.” The two men exchanged a long look full of meaning, which confused Eren even more. He shivered and looked around the room.

 

It was small. A tiny window on the far end side allowed for a flow of fresh air, while someone had obviously tried to squeeze three bed frames into the scarce space, and failed. There were marks on the walls where wood had scraped over wood, and some more that looked like something else. Eren didn’t want to know how they’d come to be, and instead focused on the beds. 

 

There were three large straw bags on the floor, smelling of rat shit and rotten wood and urine. These makeshift mattresses came with no blankets and probably a shit ton of lice scattering through the stuffing. But Eren didn’t mind. Not at all. Everything was better than shivering on a cold stone floor like he’d had to in the last few weeks.

 

He turned to his companions and managed a grin. “I’ll take the one closest to the door.”

 

Levi snorted. “Sure, so that you can run away in the middle of the night? Not fucking likely.”

 

“Well,” Eren crossed his arms over his chest. “If you’d finally explain why exactly I am here, perhaps I wouldn’t have any reason to run at the first opportunity.”

 

“Excellent point, Eren,” Erwin applauded. “Come, sit down. Make yourself comfortable. And then I’ll explain everything.”

 

They sat down together, Eren and Erwin, on the space between two of the straw bags. Levi leaned against the wall and kept his gaze on the door, mindful of anyone that might come in. Then, finally, Erwin spoke.

 

“As I’ve already told you, we’d like to recruit you.”

 

Eren scowled. “I got that much already. And judging from how pleased you were that I managed to sneak so far away from you, I guess it is shady business?”

 

A heartbeat passed, then, “It is indeed,” Erwin sent an admirable smirk Levi’s way. “You’ve outdone yourself, Levi. He’s quite sharp. Choosing him was the right call.”

 

Levi shrugged. “I know people.”

 

“It is quite a talent,” Erwin mused, then turned to Eren once more. “We are indeed an organization that — let me quote you — operates in rather shady business.” Erwin cleared his throat and grinned. “But enough of the metaphors: we are thieves, true and simple. Whenever there is treasure, we are attracted to it like flies. Whenever there is light, we walk the shadows. That is our motto, and our life. Nothing more, nothing less. And we want to offer you a part in it.” 

 

“Offer?” Eren asked in uncertainty. “Does this mean that I have a choice?”

 

“Of course! Who do you take us for?!” Erwin cried out, sounding hurt. From the snort Levi let forth at the display, Eren knew the blonde was only faking it. “We are not savages. We cherish consent whenever it presents itself. Which means that you actually have a choice.” Erwin scratched at his knee and went on to explain. “You will accompany us to our hideout, where you will stay for a week and think about starting as a recruit of our guild. If you don’t fancy a life in the shadows, we will provide you with enough money to buy a horse and send you on your way.”

 

Eren gulped. It sounded great, wonderful even. He would be able to return to Shiganshina and search for his mother, his father and his sister -- see if anyone besides him had survived the raid on the small town. But a question burned at the forefront of his mind, one that he was too afraid to ask since it would inevitably lead to a whole slur of new problems. Yet not asking about it might be seen as trickery -- perhaps it was better to be honest to get what he wanted? He mustered his courage. “What about the gold?”

 

“Gold? What gold?” Erwin looked at him in confusion and something else, something Eren couldn’t pinpoint. He could tell that Erwin knew what he was talking about, however, especially when the blonde’s hand travelled to the purse at his belt. 

 

“The gold you bought me with,” Eren continued uneasily. “Am I not obligated to pay it back to you?”

 

Erwin started smiling again. It was like he’d just won a gamble. “Usually, yes,” he said. “But you are a special case. Because of that, I see no reason that you should repay us.” He let go of the purse slowly.

 

And suddenly Eren understood.

 

They didn’t think he was  _ capable of denying _ their offer. Erwin was sure he could trick him into working for their little band of thieves with nothing more than a promise of free will and a subtle hint at his current situation. 

 

Because he owed his life to these two men. That much was clear. Eren didn’t even want to think about where he’d be now if one of those pricks in the first row had bought him. Probably tied on a bed and choking on cock. Or dead in a dumpster for some minor lords amusement. Or … he didn’t want to think of the blonde man and the dangerous vibe he had given of. 

 

One thing was certain for him. He would stay strong and deny their offer as soon as he could. Take the gold and run. Just like he had planned from the beginning. And escape from the man with the golden smile and the silver dagger poised behind his back.

 

Eren hoped none of his inner thought process had shown on his face. He bit his lip to appear indecisive and lowered his eyes. “I … I will think about it.”

 

Erwin smiled at him once more. Eren had never seen such white teeth. “Wonderful. The trip to our headquarters will only take a few days. I’m sure you’ll like it!” He winked at Eren. “We ought to get some sleep now, though. We have a day of riding ahead of us!”

 

With that the blonde took off his coat and boots before he laid down on the straw mattress, using his clothes as a blanket. Eren allowed himself a brief sigh of relief, but was reminded of another presence when Levi tapped his shoulder. “You can use my coat for the night.” When Eren glanced at him, Levi had already looked away. 

 

“Don’t you need it?” he asked. Levi shook his head. 

 

“There is no way I’m going to sleep in this filthy place.” 

 

“Alright,” Eren shrugged, turning his face away from Levi as not to show him his disapproval. The man was really arrogant to think their bedding arrangement was below him. But what did it matter to Eren? Nothing, really. In a few days, he would leave those two men and especially Levi’s arrogance behind him. 

 

He carefully took off Levi’s coat and laid down on the bed. Erwin was already snoring next to him, tiny little rasps that escaped his open mouth when he exhaled. It should have annoyed him, but Eren didn’t really care. He liked the sound, even, as it reminded him of his father snoring the night away.  A sound Eren had become so used to that he couldn’t sleep if he  _ didn’t  _ hear it.

 

It made him miss home even more.

 

He squeezed his eye shut as not to cry and slowly pulled the coat onto his body. It smelled of earth and herbs, reminded him of gardenwork with his mother. His heart hurt thinking about her, but soon he would see her again. Soon …

 

As Eren finally fell asleep, a small smile graced his face.  _ Soon. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thanks to my beta BlueMonkey! <3
> 
> The chapter title means **proposal** in German.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> The chapter title means **auction**.


End file.
